


In My Name a Prayer

by aceAdoxography, theyoungphoenix



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, RP format, incubus au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:55:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25723954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceAdoxography/pseuds/aceAdoxography, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theyoungphoenix/pseuds/theyoungphoenix
Summary: Dave Strider is an incubus who thrives on affection. Too bad he doesn't know that, or that he's starving.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas
Comments: 28
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Karkat written by aceAdoxography, Dave written by theyoungphoenix. This rp takes place on the Strilonde rp discord server, if you'd like to join. https://discord.gg/y2b9Eu2

Stealing was like riding a bike. Once you learned how to do it, you never really forgot. And thank whatever god existed for that. Half the time, that’s the only reason Dave thinks he survived. His Bro was always busy with other things, and sometimes forgot to leave Dave with any food in the apartment, or any money to even buy himself anything. So stealing a candy bar out of a convenience store was usually a piece of cake. 

He had on one of his favorite red hoodies, worn and fraying at the edges. His jeans had seen better days, the button having popped off about a year ago, now held up by a piece of string he had found. The knees were torn out and the bottoms ripped, but if anyone asked he always said it was cool to wear clothes that looked like someone had picked them up out of the trash. His shoes were the nicest thing on him. He had found a hell of a deal for an almost brand new pair of red converse at a thrift store. Dave begged his Bro for them, and through some miracle he had given Dave enough to buy the shoes and even get himself a decent handful of food from the Dollar Store for his stash. 

School was pretty cool, if for nothing more than giving him somewhere to go that wasn’t the apartment, and offering free breakfast. The homework was pretty shitty, but his Bro didn’t care all that much for his grades, as long as he didn’t have to deal with it. Dave had learned that one the hard way after skipping class for a week and almost failing and being held back a year. He learned quick how to do just enough that the teachers would let him through without a second glance. Straight C’s were enough to just fly under the radar. He wouldn’t get any scholarships for it, but hell if Dave thought he’d be able to go to college anyways. 

Dave shook himself out of his thoughts, taking his time perusing through the aisles, acting, for all intents and purposes, like a sixteen year old kid who couldn’t make up his mind on the very specific type of candybar he wanted to purchase. He picked up a Snickers, looked it over for a second, then “put it back”, carefully slipping it up the sleeve of his jacket as he did. Part one of the mission complete, he shrugged, then turned to head back to the front door. 

A hand on his shoulder stopped him, grip firm and unyielding. It sent a jolt of terror through his already empty stomach, and he spun to the other person, face arctic cold and blank as a sheet of paper. 

“‘Sup.”

-

Karkat was having, by his standards, a pretty good day. He’d finally unpacked the last of the boxes in his room after weeks of having them stashed there, finished his homework in record time during study hall, and started reading a new book that seemed promising so far. 

Then he’d gotten a craving for flaming hot cheetos, which of course they didn’t have in the house due to Kankri being on some weird health food kick and their dad trying to be supportive. But Karkat would be damned if he let his annoying older brother decide what he could eat so he threw on his shoes, grabbed his wallet, and ventured out into the heat in the direction of the nearest corner store.

It was only a few blocks away but Karkat was already sweating a bit by the time he got there. He refused to give up his comfy sweaters and admit defeat to the Texas heat. Heat stroke could take him, for all he cared. The less skin he showed the better.

He grabbed his bag of cheetos and then he felt something build at the back of his throat. He took a breath and the air tasted like poison. He looked around to see who the fuck could be giving off such a shitty aura and saw a blond kid with huge shades staring intently at the rows of candy on the shelf in front of him.

Karkat grit his teeth, but told himself it wasn’t his business. Or at least it wasn’t until he saw the kid subtly slip a candy bar up his sleeve.

He didn’t think before he marched over and grabbed the guy’s shoulder. He immediately regretted it when the inky disgusting feeling crawled up his arm. The guy spun around and said, face blank, “‘Sup?” and Karkat fought back the urge to deck him right there.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he demanded, trying to keep his voice at a reasonable volume. “That candy bar is a fucking dollar, asshole. You know employees get in trouble when people steal shit, right?”

-

_Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Deny deny deny._

Cold fear rushed into Dave’s stomach, but his face didn’t change. 

“Man I dunno what you saw, but I haven’t stolen jack shit. What’s it to you either way?” he huffed, voice monotone and hands tense at his side. “You should really just mind your own business, okay?”

Dave jerked out of the other kid’s grip, almost immediately regretting the loss of physical contact. He refused to let it bother him though, and his hang ups about touch were not wanted right now. 

Fuck. If this kid rats him out he’ll probably get in trouble with the cops, who will then call Bro. Even if they let him off with a warning, Bro would be pissed. Dave’s never gotten in actual legal trouble before but he knows his guardian would be fucking pissed. It’d be a real fuckin bad time for him, Sans wouldn’t hold a candle to the bad time Dave would be going through. 

-

Karkat ground his teeth at the boy’s words but something like terror sneaked through the slimy aura that permeated him and he tried to calm down.

He took a step back and tried to see the guy without his empath abilities getting in the way. Ratty hoodie, ripped jeans, obnoxious shades that weren’t quite big enough to hide the edge of a scar that disappeared beneath them. And he was _skinny_. He looked like a harsh breeze could knock him over.

To be honest, he didn’t look like the kind of person who should be emitting such a toxic aura and Karkat scowled, confused and conflicted. The kid looked like he could use a fucking candy bar and Karkat’s a bleeding heart underneath his grumpy exterior. “Give me the goddamn candy bar,” he demanded, holding his hand out. “Before I find someone who works here.” He wouldn’t, actually, because he’s not a fucking snitch, but this guy didn’t know that.

-

_Shit._

Dave took a slow breath, slipping the candy bar out of his sleeve and into the palm of his hand. He dropped it in the other’s outstretched one, shame forcing the smallest blush to the tips of his ears. 

He really hoped no one heard what just happened. He shoved his clenched fists into his hoodie pocket, taking a step away from Karkat. 

“Look, I did what you asked, okay? I’m just gonna go now, but just—“ he sighed. “I can’t afford to get in trouble. I’ll just go and get out of your hair now.”

Dave hunched his shoulders up, his fingers fiddling with a loose string on the inside of his pocket. At a loss for anything else to say, he turned on his heel towards the door again. 

Fuck this was embarrassing. No one had ever caught him, and he thought he was getting really fucking good at this, but he guessed not. Some half-pint figured him out and, worse, called him the fuck out on it. 

Dave didn’t get more than three steps before a hand, once again on his shoulder, stopped him. Resignation filled his stomach, warming the cold fear that was there before. “C’mon man, just let me fuckin’ go, okay? I’m not gonna do that again, or whatever you want to hear so you’ll just leave me the fuck alone.”

-

Karkat grabbed the guy’s shoulder again, against his better judgement, to keep him from leaving. It made his stomach churn to do so, but it wasn’t as bad as the first time. He felt fear and frustration leaking through the heavy curtain of ill intent and sighed.

“I’m not gonna get you in fucking trouble,” he said. “Even if you’d deserve it. Come on, I’m buying you this stupid Snickers.”

He marched to the front of the store and slapped down his cheetos and the snickers. He also grabbed a KitKat bar from the front display and tossed it on the counter. The cashier looked between his scowling face and the confused blond guy next to him curiously for a moment before they clearly decided they weren’t paid enough for this and rang him up.

When they left the store Karkat shoved the candy at the guy and said, “here, asshole. Enjoy it.” 

-

Dave almost protested. He’s not a fucking charity case. However, his stomach kindly reminded him that besides the small breakfast he’d had at school that morning, he hadn’t eaten anything. And by kindly, he meant it decided it was time to sound like a dying whale and alert both of them that he was hungry. 

He gave in, nodding quietly. He followed just behind him to the front counter, not saying anything besides nodding quietly to the cashier when they glanced between them. He watched the guy pay for his own stuff that he had probably come for in the first place, as well as the Snickers Dave tried to steal. 

He scuffed his shoes on the ground, the fear from before gone and really only replaced with deep-rooted shame. 

Dave trailed alongside him until they were outside, where he was shoving the candy into his chest and telling him to enjoy it. 

“...Thanks,” he mumbled quietly, unwrapping it to shove a bite in his mouth. He refused to moan over the taste, but if he was alone he might have. He’s not him when he’s hungry, or… whatever that Snickers slogan was. Dave laughed quietly to himself over his own thoughts, lifting his gaze and offering a small wave to the dude. “Seriously. If not for buying me this then at least not ratting me out.” He took another bite of the candy, wanting it to last but also enjoying the taste too much to really slow down. 

“What’s your name?”

-

Karkat wrinkled his nose as the guy devoured the candy bar. If he kept that up he’d puke, and Karkat was not about to walk home with vomit on his shoes. Kankri would have a fit.

The thanks took him by surprise and Karkat was once again confused. The disgusting malicious aura that trailed this guy like a raincloud hadn’t budged once during this entire fiasco, which was really fucking weird in itself, but he also couldn’t actually detect anything that hinted at the thankfullness being false.

This guy was throwing his senses off and Karkat didn’t like it.

“It’s Karkat,” he said after a moment, wherein he considered lying or just walking away. But what could it hurt, honestly? He’d probably never see this particular douchebag again and besides… the guy made him curious. “Who’re you?”

-

Dave snorted to himself. “Karkat. Kitkat. Fitting.” He couldn’t help the grin that crossed his features. Something about the guy’s name being Karkat made him laugh. Being out of the shitty convenience store was nice too. He felt a little better talking to this angry looking kid. 

“Name’s Dave,” he said after a minute, sticking his left hand out to fistbump. “Strider. Remember the name. One of these days my rapping career will take off and all y’all mofos’ll be jealous. You’re talking to a future celeb, man. Better get as cozy as you can with me before I blow up.” He was mostly talking out of his ass. Rapping was fun, sure, but he didn’t think he’d actually get anywhere with it. His Bro had always been better at it than him, and he really only did it because his Bro liked it so much. 

Dave popped the rest of the Snickers into his mouth, crumpling up the wrapper and shoving it into his pocket. 

“As fun as it is just standing here awkwardly with you, I got places to be, beats to spin, fire mixes to drop, shit like that.” He shrugged. “Hopefully I’ll see you never and we can both wipe this weird as fuck interaction from our memories, yeah?”

-

Karkat couldn’t hold back a disbelieving snort as Dave talked himself up. What a tool. His grin transformed his whole face but still. A tool. He steadfastly ignored the fist Dave held out in front of him until he shrugged and let it drop.

“Sounds fucking perfect,” he said, turning and stomping away. He stopped to throw over his shoulder, “If I see you stealing again I’ll shove my foot so far up your ass you’ll taste leather for weeks, douchemunch.”

He made his way home, ignored the look Kankri gave him when he saw his bag of cheetos and slammed his bedroom door in his face before he could even open his mouth.

What a weird fucking day.


	2. Chapter 2

Not even two days later, Dave caught a glimpse of Kitkat walking through the halls. Fun. He at least didn’t share classes with him, and there was always a chance that Karkat was in a different grade altogether. Dave shrugged it off, decided it wasn’t a big deal, and carried on with the rest of his week. 

The semester finally came to a close, and they got a short break before all their classes changed. Dave wasn’t sure how to feel about the break. On one hand, he wouldn’t have any homework or have to deal with annoying shitheads in the class for a couple days. On the other though… It meant he had to dip into his pretty small to begin with stash of food for the days that he wasn’t in school. Bro had forgotten to get anything for food again, and besides sharing a pizza with Dave one night, didn’t offer to buy anything for him either. 

By the time his break was over, he was in a pretty bad mood. Bro had been harder than usual during their last strife, and he’d spent the last day with a really obnoxious headache turned migraine. 

So when his alarm finally went off for school, he groaned, but quickly switched it off. He sat up, rubbing his face with both hands, taking a deep breath. His headache hadn’t faded like he had hoped it would. 

Dave ran a hand through his hair and was startled when it… caught on something? What the fuck? He felt around for it to find… a round little nub on the top left side of his head. A bit more feeling around found a second one on the other side. His stomach dropped to his feet, and without really being aware of it, stumbled to the bathroom, flicking the light on. 

Oh fuck. Okay. So apparently in his sleep he started growing horns. Sure. That’s a normal 16 year old boy thing, right? What the fuck.

Dave put his hand to the right one, feeling around it. Maybe it was some sick prank his bro was pulling by supergluing horns to his head. Haha, yeah, that’s totally what it was. Except tugging on it did nothing except hurt, and not like he was detaching glue from his skin, but inside his skull, like he was pulling on something he shouldn’t be. 

He swallowed down his panic. It was fine. He could like… wear a beanie or something. Shit. They’d make him take it off immediately and he didn’t know what was happening to him but he didn’t want to bring attention to these horns as long as possible. 

Dave took a deep breath, finally giving in and getting himself ready for the day. There wasn’t much he could do about it besides hide it in his hair so… that’s what he was going to do. 

He took a quick shower, scrubbing at his hair and body as quickly as possible. He dressed, pulled on his shoes, and grabbed his bag and was out the door. It was a little early to be leaving but he didn’t want to accidentally run into Bro and have him see Dave’s new additions. 

He spent the time quietly thinking to himself, fussing over his hair as he walked. He lived too close to the school for a bus to pick him up, so he always gave himself enough time to walk.

Dave entered the school, only a handful of people there, quickly going to the cafeteria to snag himself some breakfast. Finally. Some good fucking food. 

-

Karkat didn’t think about Dave over the next two weeks. He had his own shit to worry about; like going to a new school where he still hadn’t made any friends, counselling his old friend’s shitty relationships via internet, and trying not to kill his brother when he insisted on vegan meals three nights in a row. His dad was working to barter some peace agreement between vampires and werewolves again, so he was coming home late every night.

The semester ended, Karkat got decent grades despite having transferred late, and spent the break watching romcoms in his room and eating junk food in front of Kankri. 

When school started again he was almost relieved to have an excuse to get out of the house. His first few classes were annoying as fuck but didn’t seem too difficult, but when he walked into fourth period he felt a familiar oppressive aura and looked around to find Dave seated in the back of the class.

What the fuck. Dave looked his way, or Karkat thought he did because it was hard to tell with those stupid fucking shades he was still wearing, and he gave him an impressive scowl before moving to take a seat closer to the front of the class.

Then he did a double take, having seen something slightly odd when Dave turned his head away. The douchebag had _horns_ just, out in the open, for the world to see. Not a glamour in sight. What the fuck.

It was bad enough that Karkat couldn’t tell he was Other, even after touching him, because of his weird malicious forcefield of an aura, but now the asshole was risking revealing all of them because he couldn’t be bothered to wear a fucking hat? 

Karkat wasn’t allowing this. For all he bitches, he was still his father’s son. And if that meant knocking some sense into a stupid douchebag theiving demon, so be it.

-

Dave found himself quietly moving from class to class, nothing really out of the ordinary. It was the first day, so none of the teachers were actually teaching. Most went over the rules and policies they expected from their students, gave an overview of what they would be doing for their classes, then gave students free time to do whatever they wanted.

Dave avoided other students like the plague. He already didn’t really talk to any of the other kids in his class in the first place, but now he really worked to ensure no one wanted to talk to him. He kept fussing over his hair and patting his head, trying to keep his hair covering his new additions. 

He didn’t expect anything unusual from his fourth period class. But then he saw that kid that bought him the Snickers a couple weeks ago walk into class. It’s almost like Karkat’s attention was immediately drawn to Dave. He made eye contact with Dave through his shades, glared at him, then turned away.

Dave let out a small sigh, shoulders hunching. He barely noticed Karkat snap his gaze back to him, and he didn’t really care. That asshole could look all he wanted. He wasn’t stealing jack shit this time. Dave tapped his foot to the beat of the song he had been working on, working over the lyrics in the back of his head. 

The bell rang and class started. Dave smugly grinned to himself. Can’t yell at me now that the teacher is here, asshole, he thought. 

-

Karkat fumed the whole lesson. Not that there was much else to focus on, with the teacher just going over the syllabus and having the class introduce themselves. He glared daggers at Dave as he did a rambling introduction and kept his own short with, “I’m Karkat, I like to read.”

When class was over, Karkat stood outside the door and ambushed Dave when he walked out. He grabbed his wrist and. Oh, that’s weird.

Karkat’s fingers overlapped around Dave’s thin wrist, and when he made contact it was like sticking his arm through a layer of tar and finding something soft underneath.

People’s auras were swirling colors and emotions around them. Karkat loved breathing in positivity and happiness, taking bits and pieces of it and pulling it into himself. Not enough that the person suffered or even noticed, just enough to keep him energized. 

Dave’s though; Dave’s aura was dark and angry and slimy, a slowly moving curtain of toxic gas that made Karkat’s stomach clench. He’d gotten wisps of other emotions when he’d touched the boy’s shoulder through his sweater, but touching skin was something else.

He could taste confusion, frustration, fear, and a yawning canyon of loneliness that would have made Karkat cry if it wasn’t such a _relief_ to feel anything but the disgusting maliciousness that stuck to him.

Karkat shook himself out of it and said, “you’re coming with me.”

He dragged Dave out of the school with surprisingly little resistance. He was gonna miss lunch but whatever, he’d sneak food in his next class.

When they were finally far enough away that Karkat felt comfortable he stopped, turned, and let go of Dave’s wrist.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing walking around with horns out? Where’s your glamour? Are you _trying_ to get us caught?” Karkat demanded, shaking out his arm in an attempt to get rid of the lingering darkness.

-

Dave had only known Karkat for a short while, but something kept drawing his eyes to him without fail. He was never more grateful for his shades than he was now. Class droned on with much the same pattern as the ones before, and Dave spent that time drawing shitty doodles on blank sheets of notebook paper. 

The bell signaling the end of class rang, dismissing the students. Dave took his time packing his things. It’s not like he was going to eat anything anyways, so he wasn’t in as much of a rush as the other kids. He slung his backpack onto his back, pushed his chair in (like a _gentleman_ ), and headed to the door. 

Karkat suddenly ambushing him was a surprise, and he almost reacted badly and punched the guy in the face. Luckily for Dave, he realized who it was, and the anxiety that had spiked in his chest lessened slowly. The grumpy kid was pulling him along in a direction decidedly not to the cafeteria without a word of explanation, and without really anywhere to go otherwise, Dave let him. 

Outside was bright, and Dave winced a little, his eyes slowly adjusting. And then Karkat was talking—yelling? Basically yelling—at Dave, talking about his horns. Shit. He didn’t think anyone had noticed. And a glamour? Us? Wait a fucking second. 

“Do you know what I am?” he blurted out, his eyes wide. “Do you know why I have these horns??” His voice was disarmingly genuine and confused, and he started to reach a hand out to Karkat before pulling back to himself. 

-

Karkat’s had a whole hour to plan a righteous tantrum but all that went out the window when Dave eagerly asked him if he knew what’s going on. Holy shit, what? How do you _not know_ that you’re a demon? Was this a prank? Was Dave fucking with him?

He grabbed Dave’s wrist again. Ignoring the toxic aura was hard but getting easier, especially once he could feel Dave’s actual intentions underneath. His brow furrowed when he didn't find any traces of deceit.

“Shit,” he said succinctly. He was so far out of his depth.

“Okay, okay. First off,” he said. He used his free hand to reach up, drawing energy from within himself, and lightly ran his finger from the base to the tip of Dave’s small horn, then the other one. As an empath, Karkat didn’t have much magical ability but even he could cast a glamour.

He dropped his hand and eyed the horns critically. It would probably last for a day or two. 

He took a breath and considered the boy in front of him. He wasn’t sure what to do. His dad was much better with this shit. Hell, Kankri would probably be better at this than him.

“You’re a demon,” Karkat said. That’s probably a good place to start. “I don’t know what kind, I can’t tell with this fucking disgusting aura around you. Even nightmare demons don’t reek like you do, what the fuck is up with that?”

Realizing he was still holding Dave’s wrist, he let it drop and took a step away with a frown. “Look, I put a glamour on your horns. No one should be able to see them unless they’re Other like us. It seems like you know jack shit and I’m probably the last person who should be introducing someone to this. Meet me at the gates after school and I’ll take you to my dad.”

-

Dave wasn’t sure if he should feel embarrassed about not knowing what he was, from Karkat’s reaction. It’s not like anyone had ever told him that he wasn’t human, let alone that he was a fucking demon. Karkat said he didn’t know what kind, either. That meant there were more than just whatever he was, right?

Dave furrowed his brows together, confused. “What do you mean, ‘disgusting aura’? Are you a demon too?”

He reached his hand up to touch his horns, trying to get a peek at them but obviously failing. “No one but ‘Other’? What does that mean? Isn’t a glamour like… fake? You can’t do that in real life, magic isn’t real, is it?”

-

Karkat was not the person for this. He took a steadying breath. “I’m an empath. We’re not really demons; we sort of have an extra sense that lets us see people’s cores and emotions and shit. I don’t know, it’s complicated.” 

He didn’t know how this happened. How someone could grow up and just not know they’re a demon. Where were Dave’s parents? He should have the ability to see through glamours; did he never notice someone different walking down the street? Seen eyes in shadows that shouldn’t be there?

“There’s something really fucking weird about you, Strider,” he said. “Your aura’s like… It tastes like poison and it’s thick and viscous and gross.” His lip curled as he spoke, feeling the weight of it just from proximity to Dave. “There’s shit underneath it, though. How people are normally. I don’t know what’s going on.”

He shrugged then, unsure how to go on. He scuffed his shoe on the ground and slouched down into his sweater. “My dad would be better at explaining all this, can’t you just wait until then? If we leave now we might be able to eat lunch if we’re fast.”

-

There were a million questions running through Dave’s mind. Karkat wasn’t a demon, but that didn’t mean other people weren’t. What was an empath? Something with emotions? Who else wasn’t human at this school? Were there other demons like him?

Was there a chance he wouldn’t be alone anymore?

Dave didn’t dare voice any of these questions though. He kept his mouth shut, and nodded. It didn’t really matter to him where they ended up going, and Karkat might as well get something to eat. Just because Dave was used to not eating didn’t mean that Karkat was. 

“Yeah. I can wait. Is your dad an... empath? Like you?” Okay. Dave would allow himself one question. He did turn back towards the school, waiting for Karkat to walk alongside him. “I mean I’m assuming that’s how it works unless you were adopted. Were you adopted, Karkat? Are you a foster kid? Is that why you’re so angry all the time?” 

He opened the door to let Karkat into the building again, entering behind him.

-

Dave was quiet until they were about halfway back to the school, then he opened his mouth and didn’t stop fucking talking. Karkat groaned. 

“Oh my god Strider, do you ever shut up? No, I wasn’t fucking adopted.” He stomped his way through the hallways. “Yes, my dad is like me. You’ll find out more once you fucking talk to him.”

He grabbed Dave’s wrist again, gritting his teeth against the feeling, and tugging him to the lunchline. He bought two slices of pizza and, once he’d paid for them, grabbed a piece and shoved the plate at Dave. He looked like he was about to pass the fuck out.

“Here, eat the shitty school pizza. If you’re not at the gates after school I will find you and I will kick your ass.” With that he spun on his heel and stalked off. 

Fucking weird ass demons with their stupid endless ranting. He pulled out his phone and shot a text off to his dad and, as an afterthought, to Kankri, just to avoid his endless bitching about taking other people into account.

Ugh. It was gonna be a long day.

-

Dave was startled into silence when Karkat grabbed his wrist once more. It was… nice. He really didn’t want Karkat to let go, but he wasn’t a little bitch and could handle someone not wanting to touch him anymore. Besides, Karkat said something about his aura being gross and dark and disgusting, Dave sure as hell wouldn’t want to touch someone like that either. 

He wasn’t expecting Karkat to take it upon himself to buy him a slice of pizza. Dave had planned to just chill and maybe draw in his notebook during the lunch break, not actually eat, since he didn’t have any money.

Dave blinked at the plate of pizza in his hands, then back to Karkat. Even when the other threatened to kick his ass Dave could tell he would probably be more concerned than actually mad. He nodded. 

“I’ll be there,” he promised. After Karkat left, Dave found a quiet area to enjoy his food. The empath had said it was shitty, but Dave hadn’t had something this good and greasy in a long while. 

His mood lifted and his pizza eaten, he actually felt pretty good. So much so, that the rest of the day almost blurred by. His backpack filled with new books and papers, but he didn’t mind it so much. 

Soon enough he found himself at the front gates of the school, scuffing his feet against the concrete. He turned at the sound of heavy footsteps, and smirked at Karkat. 

“Beat you.”

-

Karkat had been perfectly calm as he walked to the gates and approached Dave. Then Dave opened his mouth and Karkat felt his eye twitch. It was only two words but it’s like they were chosen with the specific intention of pissing him off.

“It wasn’t a race, shitweasel.” 

Karkat started off in the direction of his house, ignoring the urge to look back and maybe grab Dave’s wrist again to make sure he followed. Dave kept blessedly quiet and Karkat sighed. He should probably give Dave a warning as to what he might be walking into.

“My brother might be home. I don’t remember if he has any of his stupid clubs today but even if he does he’ll probably skip them because he and the universe exist solely to spite me.” It was an exaggeration; Kankri would rather die than skip out on something he’d already made a commitment to, but Karkat wouldn’t put it past the universe to have the club cancel at the last minute.

“He’s an annoying dickbag,” he told Dave. “Just walk away if he starts talking. It won’t shut him up but at least you can get away from him.”

They arrived at the house and Karkat unlocked the door. He instructed Dave to take his shoes off and did the same.

“My dad will be home in like an hour or two probably. We can watch a movie or do homework or something, I don’t fucking know,” he said, turning to the kitchen. It was only the first day of the new semester but a few of his teachers didn’t give a shit and assigned homework anyway. Assholes. He grabbed an apple from the counter. “You want food?”

-

Dave grinned when he saw Karkat visibly anger. It shouldn’t be that funny but he liked watching the others' reactions. He was so open and obvious with his emotions, and it was really nice. Dave didn’t have to guess to know that Karkat was angry at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. He figured he’d at least give Karkat the satisfaction of being quiet. Dave raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question the spite comment, instead humming in acknowledgment. He grinned as Karkat continued.

“Got it. If the douchebag starts talking, don’t listen and walk away,” he said, laughing to himself.

Dave followed Karkat into the house, carefully toeing off his shoes in the doorway. This was… a really nice home honestly. He didn’t know what it was, but something about it felt… safe? Maybe it was a demon thing. But that meant that his own apartment didn’t feel safe and… yeah Dave wasn’t going to unpack that right at this second. 

“I don’t think I got any homework yet, so I’m down to watch a movie,” he chirped, rocking back onto his heels. “And I’m not really hungry. You already bought me pizza earlier, which I don’t think I thanked you for? So thanks for that.” He wandered after Karkat, glancing around the almost pristine kitchen. 

“So your brother? You guys don’t get along much, I’m assuming? That sucks. I’ve got a wicked good relationship with my Bro. He’s honestly pretty chill and a hell of a guy.” If you stay out of his way, at least, but Dave didn’t mention that. It wasn’t really Karkat’s business, and besides, Karkat probably knew what that was like with his dad at least.

Dave didn’t want to ponder too much on why their home looked like it was out of a movie. He’d never been one to go over to friend’s homes ever, and this was really only a one-time thing. He needed to find out more of this demon thing. He needed to understand why the fuck he started growing horns out of his head. What did that mean for him, and what should he expect from this.

-

Karkat frowned when Dave declined food but didn't push. He headed to the couch and plopped down, gesturing for Dave to do the same.

“His name’s Kankri and he’s a sanctimonious hypocrite who can never shut the fuck up,” he told him. He eyed Dave for a moment. He wanted to ask if he’s adopted, because it would explain why he didn’t know fuck all about being a demon but honestly that shit would be better left for when his dad got home. 

He turned the TV on and channel surfed until giving up and groaning. He tossed the remote at Dave. 

“You pick something, there’s nothing good on anyway,” he slouched down into the cushions. Dave chose some dumbass Dane Cook movie with a smirk and Karkat rolled his eyes. Kankri hadn’t come out at the noise so he probably wasn’t home, which was one good thing that happened today at least.

He spent the whole movie arguing with Dave, who claimed that it was a ‘cinematic masterpiece.’ Karkat didn’t even notice the time passing until he heard the door opening. He got up and called out, “Dad! The guy I told you about is here!”

-

Dave stood and turned to greet Karkat’s dad, following the shorter teen to greet a man that was definitely Karkat’s father. He had the same messy, unstylable hair, dark skin, and even darker eyes. There were a few features that were different, but it was obvious that they were directly related.

Karkat introduced his dad, telling Dave his name was Katkri, which Dave boldy refused to snicker at.

Dave sent the man one of his award-winning grins and offered a hand out to him to shake.

Katkri’s eyes almost cut through Dave, a lot sharper and more perceiving than Karkat’s, and before he knew it, Katkri was grabbing Dave’s hand and pulling him into a tight hug. Dave couldn’t hide the gasp in surprise, body tensing up at the initial contact.

It was… warm, obviously. Katkri was warm, and Dave fit into his chest almost perfectly. Dave slowly relaxed, a hole in his chest being filled that he didn’t even know was there. He reached his arms up to carefully hug Katkri back, leaning into the hold. Something warm running down Dave’s cheek made him aware that he was crying. With that realization, he couldn’t stop, and tears ran down his face faster as his chest hiccupped with sobs. Dave pressed his face into the older man’s chest as the arms around him tightened and held him closer. 

“‘M sorry,” he gasped out between sobs. “I don’t know wh-why I’m c-rying.”

“It’s okay,” Katkri mumbled to Dave, simply rubbing a hand in circles on his back. “It’s okay. Just let it out.”

The now full hole in his chest ached, and kept Dave anchored to Katkri, lest he risk falling over. This… Dave had never felt like this. It was like he had eaten too much food too quickly but...on a more emotional level. He was too full and his chest was displaying its displeasure.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Katkri let Dave go, keeping a careful hold on his arm to keep the small demon upright. “Let’s sit you down,” he said gently. “That might have been too much too fast,” he admitted. He waved Karkat over to help him get Dave back to the couch.

Dave was weak legged and almost fell several times, only prevented from it by a combination of Karkat and his father. His body felt heavy. Finally sitting down again was a relief, and he relaxed back into the couch. 

“...What… was that?” he finally asked, his voice still scratchy from having cried. “I don’t know why I cried,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.”

Katkri shook his head, carefully sitting next to Dave, just far enough away to not risk touching him. “You’re an incubus. Juvenile, still, of course, so you feed off physical contact and affection instead of sexual energy.”

Dave stared at him from behind his shades like the other had grown a second head. “...I’m a freaky _sex demon?”_

-

Karkat didn’t know what was going on. It was surreal to see his dad’s face as he took in Dave, emotions shifting from surprise to shock and horror to a sad understanding in under a second, then pulling him into a crushing hug. 

He watched, concerned, as his dad pulled a good portion of the toxic cloud surrounding Dave into himself. That couldn’t be good for either of them; what was he doing? Taking so much energy from a single person was dangerous for them, even if they were a demon. And the thick, tarry darkness wrapped around Dave would probably leave his father nauseated for days.

Then Dave stumbled and Karkat wrapped an arm around his waist and helped his dad practically drag him over to the couch. He took in Dave’s wet cheeks with a frown. He was missing something here.

He reached out and whacked Dave upside the head. “They aren’t ‘freaky’! They’re rare, and secretive. How could you not know you’re an incubus?”

Karkat felt an uncomfortable realization coming on, though he tried to push it back. But his father’s reaction, combined with Dave’s skeletal frame and obvious overwhelm pointed to a very unhappy picture of his home life.

“When’s the last time you _ate_?” Karkat asked with dawning horror. He looked away from Dave and locked eyes with his father, whose mouth was a thin, unhappy line. 

He remembered Dave trying to steal that stupid fucking candy bar. Christ, he didn’t know he was a demon. Did he even know _how_ to eat? Did he know that human food could barely sustain him, would be enough to carry his body forward but never enough to keep him full or nourished? He doubted it. 

He read in his dad’s face that this wasn’t something he was just going to let go. Karkat plopped down next to Dave on the couch, thighs touching. He didn’t think he could let it go either, honestly. Stupid fucking moral compass. This was more than he signed up for.

He looked back at Dave. “Are you okay?”

-

Dave winced, scowling behind his shades. He reached a hand up and rubbed where Karkat had thwacked him. He shrugged. “I wasn’t told anything. I didn’t even know demons were a real thing until you told me,” he admitted quietly. 

He sent Karkat a weird look, wondering why he seemed so freaked about this. Was there something Dave was missing here?

“I… Ate at lunch today? You bought me a pizza, remember?” he huffed out, eyes carefully flicking to Katkri, then back to Karkat. 

Dave swallowed the anxious lump in his throat, the feeling of being _wrong_ and _bad_ building up in his chest. He almost jumped out of his skin when Karkat sat down next to him, pressing their upper thighs together. The anxious feeling slowly ebbed away, and he was only further comforted when Katkri delicately placed a hand on Dave’s head. He felt… full. And tired. He didn’t know that full was a feeling he could have but… he wasn’t going to complain about it. It felt good, if not a little uncomfortable. 

“‘M fine,” he murmured quietly, his exhaustion quickly catching up to him. “Just tired.”

-

Karkat shared a look with his dad as Dave swayed slightly. There was a pit of worry opening up in Karkat’s gut. How had Dave survived for so long without eating? Well, clearly the answer was ‘barely,’ but. 

“Sleep, Dave,” his dad said in his low, rumbling voice. He’d used that calming voice on Karkat many times when he was a little kid, throwing a tantrum because he didn’t want to nap. Karkat one day hoped to replicate it. 

Dave gave a little nod and Karkat stood up, helping his dad lay him out on the couch. A little snore escaped him and Karkat snorted. Dave was kind of cute when he was asleep.

“Karkat.” His father’s voice snapped Karkat’s attention away from the boy sleeping on his couch. His tone was serious and Karkat knew he probably wasn’t going to like where this was going. “I want you to look after Dave while you’re at school.”

Karkat groaned. Motherfucker. His dad cut him off with a stern look before he even started talking.

“I’m serious,” his dad said. “This boy is starving, Karkat. He likely would have died within a year or two if you hadn’t intervened. He needs affection, and to be properly introduced to this world.” 

“Yeah but can’t _you_ do that?” Karkat asked petulantly, crossing his arms. This time the look he got was scathing and Karkat groaned again. “Fine! Fine. I’ll babysit Strider. Now can I do my homework before Kankri gets home or do you want me to hold his hand while he sleeps, too?”

“Watch the lip,” his dad said, but he reached out and ruffled Karkat’s hair anyway. Karkat scowled and didn't bother trying to fix it; it looked like a rat’s nest regardless.

He sighed and sat on the floor, pulling his backpack towards him, when he heard the door open. 

“I’m home,” Kankri announced. 

Karkat raised his eyes to the ceiling, silently asking the universe what he ever did to deserve this.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the evening went by faster than Dave would have liked it to. Karkat and Kankri’s interactions brought out a couple small chuckles from him. Several times, to the betrayed glances from Karkat, Dave encouraged Kankri on a topic, loving how open they both were with their emotions. There were no hidden meanings in their words. If Karkat was mad or annoyed, it was basically displayed in bold letters across his forehead that he was mad or annoyed, and it settled some lingering tightness in Dave’s chest that he didn’t know was there until it was gone. He felt relaxed and free and _light_. And for the first time that he can remember, he actually wasn’t hungry. 

Dave felt _good_.

But he knew it couldn’t last for long. Eventually Dave picked up his bag and thanked the Vantases for everything they had done for him already. He was introduced to… a whole entire new world, and he was so excited to see it. Katkri offered to drive Dave home, but he turned down the offer. He didn’t want them to meet Bro. 

Dave turned at the door, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, uh… Thanks,” he said quietly to Karkat, a small smile turning up at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll… see you tomorrow at school then?”

-

Dave slept for a few hours. He probably needed it, and Karkat was able to get his homework done and switch between staring at the TV and messaging his idiot friends on his phone. It was Kankri’s big mouth that woke Dave up, of course, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to delight in egging Kankri on, the absolute traitor. 

Karkat’s dad offered to drive Dave home when it started getting late. He obviously wanted a chance to snoop around and see what the fuck kind of environment Dave was living in that had him starving so badly. Unfortunately Dave declined, and when he made to leave he offered Karkat a tiny smile; probably the first real one Karkat had seen from him.

He chewed his lip for a moment, thinking about what his dad said. 

“Yeah, we should sit together at lunch,” he said, shifting his weight awkwardly. “There’s still a bunch of shit you don’t know and I should re-do your glamour tomorrow just to be sure.”

And fuck, he needed to come up with a plan to make sure Dave got fed regularly, too. That was gonna be awkward as fuck, because the easiest way to do that was probably through a hug, like his dad had done earlier. Shit, did he need to pull the toxic aura from Dave as well? Ugh, just being around it bad enough.

But whatever, he could suck it up. Dave was starving, Karkat could put up with some light aura poisoning.

-

Dave nodded in agreement, and after bidding goodbye to Karkat and his family, made his leave. The walk home was pleasant, the Texan heat calming down to a bearable level, allowing Dave the opportunity to run through his thoughts. He was a demon. Did Bro know? Bro raised him, he had to have at least an idea. Was Bro an incubus as well? Dave shuddered. Okay, he didn’t want to think about that too hard. Incubi were sex demons, and Dave didn’t want to think about Bro having sex with people—aaaand now he was thinking about it. Welp. 

He shook his head, taking a deep breath of the humid air, forcing those thoughts into a box, locking it, and tossing the key in the deepest pits of hell, or whatever was down there. 

Besides his intrusive thoughts, Dave felt really good. It’s like some weight he didn’t know he’d been carrying had been lifted off his shoulders, and that on top of not feeling like he was starving? He wasn’t going to complain. 

Not even getting home only to be dragged up to the roof for a strife and a thorough ass-kicking could make him feel shitty. And he held his own enough against Bro to actually get a thumbs-up.Holy _shit._

Dave flopped into his bed at the end of the night, forgoing his homework for now. He’d worry about it later. For now, he was sore, tired, and his mind was quiet, even after everything that had happened today. Before long he passed out, sleep claiming his mind. 

-

The next day Dave managed to get out of the apartment with little confrontation from Bro, and walked with a bit of a spring in his step. He got to the school fairly quick and made a beeline directly for the cafeteria, snagging a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese, yogurt, apple juice, and an Uncrustables sandwich. It was a weird combination, but it was food, and Dave rarely had the opportunities to be picky. Plus, the sandwich holds up pretty well so he can save it for lunch.

He finds himself wandering back to the front of the school building, settling down on the stairs to the entrance to finish his food, subtly keeping an eye out for Karkat. He kind of wanted to see him, but was also aware that he’d at least see Karkat at lunch, since he didn’t plan on being an ass and just ditching him like a total douche. 

When the bell rang and Dave still hadn’t seen Karkat, he gave in and headed to his first class. All of his classes were boring and a drain, but soon enough he was in his final class before lunch. He settled down in his chair quietly, his attention flicking between students before catching on Karkat and meeting his eyes. Dave sent him a small smirk with the slightest bit of hidden sincerity behind it, and a small wave.. They were sat fairly far apart from each other, but Dave didn’t mind too much.

-

Karkat spent the morning jittery and anxious as fuck. He had a bunch of notes on the Other in his backpack and he needed to create some kind of code or something because the idea of a random person finding it made him shudder. He could probably pass it off as a story idea or something but he’d rather not risk it.

He didn’t pay attention in his morning classes and his grades were likely going to suffer for it. But any annoyance over that lifted when he walked into fourth period and saw Dave smirk at him and give him a dorky little wave. Karkat was aware enough now to tell when he was being entranced--not that Dave was strong enough to do anything big, like actual mind control, but the desire to touch him despite the dread aura around him made sense now--and this was, unfortunately, all him.

Dave was looking lighter today. Whatever caused the aura in the first place clearly had some effect because it was a bit heavier than when he’d left Karkat’s house, but it was… acceptable, considering the state he’d started in.

When the bell rang Karkat waited outside the door to ambush Dave again, just in case he got any bright ideas about taking off. He grabbed Dave’s wrist, already beginning the process of slowly siphoning off some of the darkness surrounding him, and tugged him out of the building. “Let’s go to the cafe,” Karkat said. They had booths there and even though it would be hella fucking awkward, he could press up against Dave under the guise of reading over his notes with him. 

It didn’t take long to arrive, and Karkat directed Dave to a booth while he went up to the counter and ordered something for the both of them; his dad had doubled Karkat’s food allowance so he could make sure Dave got double doses of nutrition. His dad was such a sap.

He slid into the booth, getting uncomfortably close to Dave, and pushed his overpriced sandwich at him. Hopefully he liked grilled cheese.

-

Dave packed his bag as class ended, and when he looked up had lost sight of Karkat, which confused him a little. Weren’t they going to eat lunch together? His question was answered when Karkat ambushed him in the hallway, causing Dave to jump in surprise. He relaxed as soon as he realized that it was Karkat, and allowed himself to be dragged along, quietly enjoying the feeling of Karkat’s hand on his wrist. Now that he was aware of it, he could feel the subtle filling from the contact, partially soothing the ache that had started up in his stomach again. 

He picked a nice booth near the window, scooting and placing his bag on the floor by his feet. Karkat slid into the seat next to him, almost crowding Dave against the wall, dropping a sandwich in front of him.

Dave blinked at him in surprise. “You didn’t have to buy me anything,” he said quickly, looking a little embarrassed. “I had a pb&j from breakfast in my bag. But… thanks.” He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite out it, letting a small smile cross his face. “This is pretty good,” he said gently. 

-

Karkat watched closely as Dave took a bite of the sandwich and nodded. His nose wrinkled as his lip curled at his words.

“Please tell me you don’t mean those disgusting soggy pieces of shit they hand out at breakfast,” he said. He grabbed his own sandwich and took a large bite, swallowing before he continued, “My dad’s decided he’s adopting you. You’ve got your own food allowance now. We should meet up before school and get you something with actual nutrition.”

He took a moment to look at Dave’s horns. They didn’t seem any bigger but the glamor was a bit thin. He frowned, leaning over to grab Dave’s chin and turn his head towards him.

“Hold still,” he demanded. He reached back inside of himself, found his pathetic amount of magic, and dragged it to the surface. He drew a finger up one horn, then the other, and released Dave, nodding. “Better. It’ll last a few days on its own but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

He returned to his sandwich, half focusing on trying to draw some more of the bitter aura around Dave into himself. He stopped when he started feeling too fatigued. It’s a near worthless amount that he managed, especially compared to what his father did, but it would have to do. Karkat still had to make it through the rest of the school day, after all.

-

Dave scoffed at Karkat’s blatant insult to the god tier sandwiches the school handed out in the morning, but quieted down again, a small blush creeping over his ears. 

“He doesn’t have to do that,” Dave protested quietly. “ _You_ don’t have to do that. I’m fine, alright? It’s no big deal at all. Don’t spend extra money on me, man. I… It’s not worth it.” 

Dave’s breath caught in his throat when Karkat just reached out and grabbed his chin, tensing momentarily before relaxing again at the comforting feeling. This wasn’t anything like what his Bro would do, all the way down to the soft, uncalloused fingers holding his chin. The blush from his ears spread down to his cheeks. 

“...Thanks,” he murmured softly when he was released. It felt… weird having Karkat’s hands on a part of him that was so new, but he couldn’t really feel anything from it besides the pressure. 

A little embarrassed, but too hungry to really want to say anything in fear of possibly getting the food taken from him, Dave ate his sandwich, toes tapping in his shoe to a rhythm only he could hear. 

-

Dave was red-faced when he turned back to his food and it was actually pretty cute. Karkat felt the embarrassment rolling off of him even through the poisoned aura and sighed. It rankled, hearing him talk about how he wasn’t worth some extra money for food.

“There’s no use arguing,” he said, scowling. “My dad’s already made up his mind, and did you not hear him before when he said you were starving? You need food. Actual food, not the useless bullshit they hand out at school.” Karkat was struck by a brilliant idea and he forced himself not to smirk at his ingenuity.

“If you’re really that worried about the money you can pay me back by coming over a couple times a week,” he said. “You can help me study, I can fill you in on all the shit you’re missing, and it’ll get my dad off my back _and_ annoy Kankri. Deal?”

-

Dave sighed softly, hesitating. He stalled, taking another bite of the delicious sandwich, savoring the bite before he swallowed it down.

“...Alright. If that’s what you want me to do, then I guess it couldn’t hurt much. Not like my Bro would mind or anything, either, I don’t think.” Dave nodded slowly towards Karkat anyways.

“So what’s on the rubric for today, teach? Werewolves and vampires? Ghouls and ghasts?” he half-joked. Dave kept his voice down, knowing that this society was secret for a reason, and he didn’t want to be seen and known as the guy who couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut about it for more than a day. 

He shoved another bite into his mouth, staying quiet to listen to Karkat, now almost done with his sandwich. He didn’t think he was that hungry, but here he was, nearly finished devouring a sandwich that he had just gotten. 

-

Karkat frowns, considering, then pulls his notebook out of his bag and flips it open to the first page. 

“Concubi. Duh,” he added, nudging Dave’s shoulder with his own. He didn’t try to take anymore of the dark aura but he did try to push some of his own into Dave, focusing on happiness and contentment. It wasn’t much but it’s what he could do. “You’re still juvenile so you can feed off of touch and affection but since your horns are coming in you’re close to becoming an adult. That means you’re going to have to know how to feed without hurting people.”

He drummed his fingers on the table and thought. “We said before that concubi are rare, so there’s not a whole lot of info out there about them. But the foundation for control is pretty much the same across all species. Take what you need a little at a time and never let yourself get too hungry, or you’ll go into a frenzy.”

He tried to explain how to tap into the deeper part of yourself, let it rise to the surface and take what it needs, but Dave looked more and more confused as he went on. Eventually he gave it up and said, “Okay, whatever. We’ll come back to that. You’ve got time anyway.”

It would be a lot easier if he or his father knew any concubi. They could take Dave under their wing and show him the ropes a lot better than Karkat could. All Karkat had to go on was hearsay.

“You’ll probably sprout wings at some point,” he told Dave, glancing at his phone to check the time. “Maybe a tail, too, but I’m not sure how much of that is just a rumor. Lunch is almost over, we should head back.”

He shoved his notebook back in his bag and grabbed their trash, leaving a small tip on the table.

-

Dave slowly ate at his sandwich as Karkat spoke, trying to listen and take in what information he could. Some of the stuff Karkat was explaining was extremely foreign to him. Feeding off of touch and affection? That’s probably why he was so full when Karkat’s father hugged him. He couldn’t honestly remember the last time anyone had hugged him before Katkri.

Karkat was trying to explain something about inner self or some other mumbo jumbo, but it was all hippie sounding bullshit to Dave. 

“Wait, wait, you mean I’m going to grow wings? Like full ass wings? Will I be able to fly with them?” Dave asked, his eyes growing wide. He shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and grabbed his bag, standing and following after Karkat. 

“That’s so cool,” he muttered to himself, reaching a hand up to feel at his horns.

-

“I’m not sure,” Karkat says with a frown. “I’ve never met an incubus before and everything we know about them should be taken with a grain of salt. They’re secretive for a reason.”

That reason being how humans and Others both hunted them to near extinction and, in some cases, stole them away from their families to enslave them. But that’s really fucking dark for Dave’s first lesson and Karkat’s pretty sure he’s supposed to be helping Dave accept what he is, not scaring him.

“If you can fly, you’ll have to go out of city limits or get a witch to cast a pretty powerful spell on you,” Karkat informs him as they near the school. He stops before they enter and have to part ways to tack on, “Meet me at the gates after school again.”

-

Dave almost questioned what the reason for them being secretive was, but hesitated. He had a feeling that if he knew, he wouldn’t really like the answer. But it was fine. He could be patient anyways. Karkat had his reasons for telling or not telling Dave about other demons of his species. 

Going back to the flight topic was a neat change, but they were almost to the school, so it’d have to hold off until later. 

“Alright, I will. You’re gonna have to tell me more about the flying thing, though,” Dave said, a small smile crossing his face. “I’ll see you in a couple hours then,” he said, starting in the direction of his next class.

-

Dave was really fucking stuck on those wings, huh? Too bad Karkat doesn’t know jack shit about them. He was tempted to make something up, just to see if Dave would believe him, but his dad would skin him alive. Well, not really. But he’d be incredibly disappointed. 

School crawled by. It was fucking awful but he got through it without straight up murdering someone, so it was a good day. Being surrounded by so many people and constantly having to block out their emotions could be taxing, and by the time he was waiting impatiently for Dave at the gates he was grumpy and exhausted. He just wanted to nap, but instead he had to babysit. Ugh.

“About time,” he snapped when Dave finally arrived. “Let’s go.”

-

Dave raised an eyebrow at Karkat's rough greeting, but shrugged it off. He was getting the feeling that that was just a part of who Karkat was: brash, loud, and rude, but after you broke through his tough exterior, you found a guy who really cared about other people.

Or something. Dave was an incubus, not a mind reader.

"Alright," he said. "I probably should text my Bro that I'm going with you again after school... I don't know how pleased he'll be that it's two days in a row, but I could lie and say it's like... A school project we're working on, or something." Dave was mostly thinking out loud to himself, but couldn't hide the slightly nervous anxiety in his voice. Fuck. Strifing with Bro sucked, and he would probably get his ass kicked for avoiding home. But he already told Karkat he would go with him, so he guessed he'd just... tough it out once it happened.

He walked alongside Karkat to the empath's home, trying to dispel the anxiety clinging to him as they walked by rambling about anything and everything he saw.

-

Dave’s words wouldn’t mean much if Karkat didn’t already know that he was being literally starved for affection at home. He could feel Dave’s anxiety slipping through the dark curtain of the tainted aura and he wondered if it belonged to Dave’s bro, if he’s the reason Dave was sick with it. He’ll have to mention it to his dad.

Dave’s anxiety brings his mood down farther, and even worse was that he couldn’t even take it out on him. It wasn’t Dave’s fault that Karkat was a prickly asshole, and he’s supposed to be giving Dave _affection_ , so he can feed off of it and grow stronger. 

When they finally made it to Karkat’s house he almost wished Kankri was home, just so he could start a screaming match. But it’s just himself and Dave, and he waved Dave into the living room.

“Go sit down and put on a movie or something. I’m too fucking tired to talk about shit right now.”

He dug around in the fridge, pulling out leftovers from last night and putting it in the microwave. He split them between two plates and walked into the living room, shoving one at Dave.

-

Dave winced internally when he realized Karkat was just as, if not grumpier than he had been. Shit. Probably didn't help that Dave just talked without stopping, but... Yeah. Karkat was a brutally honest person. If he really was pissed off, he'd probably kick Dave out and tell him to take a hike. 

He followed Karkat's request and set his backpack down by the couch, sitting with one leg tucked under him. He found the remote fairly quickly and turned on the tv, flipping through the options until he found that one show about the Kardashians. 

Dave shrugged to himself and put the remote back where he had found it, then pulled out his phone so he could shoot a quick text to his Bro about the "school project" he'd be "working on" with Karkat. 

It felt... shitty to lie to his bro, but if he didn't know about the supernatural world, and wasn't a demon himself, did that mean he shouldn't tell him? And what if Bro did know about the supernatural world, and was just waiting for Dave to start realizing it too, before he did... something. Dave couldn't think of anything Bro would do if he already knew. 

Dave had his suspicions that Bro wasn't actually his brother, or father. They may look alike in hair color and skin tone, but that was where the similarities ended. Dave was freckled, and even though Bro was almost always wearing his shades, he knew that his eyes were like an amber color, not the same red as Dave's. They didn't even really have similar face shapes, but that could be because Dave was still in his late teens and Bro was in his thirties or so. 

Dave was pulled from his worrying line of thought to a plate of food being shoved at him by Karkat.

"Wow, dude. You trying to fatten me up? Are empaths like cannibals? Wait, is it even cannibalism if we're not actually the same species? Would it just be murder instead? Damn, these are the questions I should be asking you instead of shit about wings and whatever." Dave went quiet as he took a bite of food.

-

Karkat stared at Dave, mouth hanging open.

“What the blistering shitfuck are you talking about?” he demanded, plopping down on the couch. He took in the tv with horror. “What the fuck are you watching?”

He grabbed the remote and quickly switched the channel to something less reality tv. He took a bite of his own food and said, “Yes, we’re trying to fatten you up. You’re literally starving. You need to have a balance between eating energy and physical food, or you’ll end up half dead. You’ll still be alive, but you’ll be exhausted. Do you sleep a lot? It’s because you don’t have the energy to fucking be awake.”

He took a breath, stabbing at his food. “Being an empath is fucking difficult. There’s no shortage of food because I can take from anyone, but there’s so many people who feel so many fucking things and it’s hard to block it out sometimes. And I haven’t been taking any of your energy, I’ve been feeding you some like you’re a fucking vulnerable baby bird. “

-

Dave swallowed, almost regretting it as the sharp pain of ‘oh fuck that was too hot’ traveled down into his stomach, but his mouth wanted to say things and Karkat would probably kill him if he spewed food all over because he wanted to ramble. 

“Ow, fuck. Don’t diss the Kardashians, bro. Just because you’re not famous and rich like them doesn’t mean I can’t find out what guy Kylie slept with to piss off Kim this time, alright?” Dave actually had no idea what was going on in the show, but there was yelling and those were familiar names, so he took his best guess. 

Dave frowned at Karkat’s explanation, taking another, smaller bite of food, letting it actually cool before devouring it. “I mean… I guess that makes sense. I don’t sleep very well, either. Is that a part of this? Damn that would be good to know. And what do you mean you’ve been… feeding me? I haven’t noticed anything, I don’t think.”

-

Karkat rolled his eyes at Dave’s defense of the Kardashians. Of all the vapid, stupid things to be invested in.

“It could be,” he allowed. “You could also just have insomnia or nightmares, I don’t fucking know. It’ll be hard to tell until you’re not an inch away from death.”

He took a bite and thought about what he was going to say next.

“I’ve been giving you energy,” he admitted. “I’m not very good at it but I can affect people’s moods, sometimes, if I focus on an emotion hard enough. I’ve done it a few times and you just immediately accept the energy, because you’re fucking starving. It’s exhausting but you need it. You’ll be able to recognize the feeling eventually.”

He didn’t mention his pathetic attempts at removing the dark aura. It’s possible that it’s part of the reason he’s feeling so incredibly shitty right now, but he didn’t want to think about it. He took another bite.

-

Dave quietly chewed his food, thinking before he spoke for once.

"...Thank you," he said after a moment, genuinely meaning it. "I... appreciate it. You and your dad and even Kankri have been really good to me. It's... nice. You guys are awesome." Dave ducked his head and shoved more food into his mouth to shut himself up. That was too emotionally vulnerable for a Strider, and Dave could feel the back of his neck prickling with anxiety.

"So what are we learning about now, teach?" he asked, deliberately changing the topic away from the previous subject. He kept himself from scanning his eyes around the room behind his shades, checking for blind spots. He kept his eyes glued stubbornly to the television, watching it without actually taking anything in.

-

Karkat was shit at masking his expressions, but he didn’t have to when Dave kept his eyes determinedly away from his face. Which was probably a good thing, since Karkat was surprised as fuck at the genuine sincerity he felt peeking through Dave’s aura. It was covered by a wave of intense embarrassment and anxiety, but it was definitely there.

“You’re welcome,” Karkat said, after he recovered. “We look out for each other.”

He considered Dave’s question. He could always teach him more about the world. Dave probably had a shit ton of questions. But Karkat thought it was more important that he learn to eat, first and foremost. Even if he didn’t have the energy to do so himself right then, he should know the theory. His dad would probably disagree, but his dad wasn’t there.

“You’re gonna try to take my energy,” Karkat decided, turning towards Dave. Dave hesitantly did the same. “But first you have to agree that when I say stop, you fucking stop. You never, ever take more than what someone is willing to give you. Understand?”

-

Dave nodded immediately, anxiety dissipating. Karkat was here. He was safe here. Bro didn't even know where Karkat lived, let alone who he even was.

"Yeah. Of course. I don't wanna hurt you or anything. That'd be a real dick move of me when you've never done anything to hurt me and have only helped me." He paused for a moment. "I don't really wanna hurt anyone. This won't... hurt you or anything? Will it?" A slight nervousness crept into his voice.

Besides worrying about hurting anyone, though, he was excited. Excited to learn more about who he was—what he was. He wanted to know things about this new world Karkat was introducing him to.

-

Karkat softened. Dave was just some unlucky kid who lost his family, somehow, and didn’t know jack shit. He was kind of a douchebag, but Karkat quietly decided to stop being so hard on him.

“It won’t hurt me,” he said. “I don’t think you’re even capable of hurting anyone in your state, but even when you’re healthy this shouldn’t hurt. Unless you completely drain me, it’ll probably just make me a little tired.”

More tired than he already was. Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea, but Karkat wasn’t going to back down now. He grabbed Dave’s hand and placed it in front of him, palm up, and hovered his own hand over it.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “Try to focus on the area between our hands. You should be able to feel something there, if you try. Kind of like static electricity.”

He waited, trying to make his aura flare so it would be easier to notice. He watched Dave’s face closely, taking in his furrowed eyebrows, his upturned nose, the curve of his lip and angle of his jaw. Dave was actually pretty attractive, Karkat noted with surprise.

-

Karkat instructed him to close his eyes and focus, so he did, furrowing his eyebrows to help him focus. At first he thought Karkat was just fucking with him. _There's no such thing, what the fuck_ — But then he felt it. Very slightly, but it was there. Like when you hover a hand over a balloon that had been rubbed into the carpet.

Dave's eyebrows relaxed immediately. "Oh. I can feel it, yeah. Just a little bit, but it's there." He opened his eyes, expecting the feeling to go away. Although now that he was aware of it, it seemed obvious that it was there. "That's wack," he said, a smile crossing his face, eyes trained on their hands. "I like it."

-

Karkat reluctantly cracked a smile.

“Good,” he said. “Now you’re going to try to take it.”

Flaring his aura was fucking taxing, but he kept it up. Not feeding it into Dave, but forcing it out around him, like a cat with it’s fur standing on end.

“Try to pull it towards you,” he said. He wasn't sure if Dave would be able to, but he didn’t want to discourage him. “Reach out with your own energy and coax it into yourself.”

-

Dave nodded, furrowing his brows again, his face dropping into something focused. He could still feel Karkat's aura, but it was too far away from him still. So he tried to do what Karkat was telling him. It sounded simple enough.

Dave took a deep breath, focusing on Karkat's hand, trying to push his energy into the aura.

Nothing moved.

He scowled and tried harder, the skin between his eyebrows wrinkling in concentration.

Still nothing.

He huffed, frustrated, and sent Karkat a disappointed look. "It's not working."

-

Dave tried. He concentrated, his eyebrows coming together slightly, lips thinning into a sharp line. Karkat felt his frustration build, slow and steady, until Dave scowled and gave up. Disappointment and shame peeked through the slick, oily aura around him. They were not good emotions; they tasted bitter, but Karkat welcomed them gladly. Anything was better than the poison that surrounded Dave.

It was concerning, though, that Dave couldn’t do this. Babies could do this. It was a natural process, it was base and necessary for survival. Karkat frowned, bringing his aura close again, relaxing.

“Okay, here; let’s try this,” he grabbed Dave’s hand, clenching his teeth as the disgusting energy oozed around his fingers. He focused on Dave’s emotions beneath it, clean and bright and sweet. “It might be different for concubi. You might need physical contact. Try again.”

-

Dave nodded and tried again, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. This time, he could feel the touch working as a conduit, and it slowly started a trickle of energy from Karkat into Dave.

His eyes went wide. "Woah. That's kind of weird. But I'm doing it, I think." It was nice. The... taste? He guessed was a word for it, was heavy and filling. It was just slightly sweet, with a hint of herbs and spices at the end. It was good. Dave let his eyes close, leaning into and enjoying the filling sensation. He could stay like this forever, he thought. It was almost intoxicating with how good it felt.

-

It took a moment, but Karkat felt his energy dripping away into Dave. He was already tired from the long day he’d had, but Dave was hardly taking anything. Karkat didn’t know if it was out of fear of taking too much or if it was all he _could_ take. Karkat wasn’t flaring his aura anymore, but he wasnt keeping his energy close, either. 

“Try taking more,” he frowned. Dave’s face was still and calm, like a placid lake. “I’ll tell you when to stop.”

He didn’t want to feed his energy into Dave, not when he was learning how to take it. But it was very tempting.

-

Dave hummed quietly, focusing on taking a larger stream of energy. It took some focus, but after a moment, almost like turning the knob on the sink, energy started flowing into him faster. It took Dave by surprise, and he let out a sharp gasp. "Oh."

The filling sensation continued to drip into his stomach area, and he blinked his eyes open, meeting Karkat's gaze. His eyes were slightly unfocused from behind his shades, but he scanned his eyes over the empath's face, trying to watch for when he was supposed to stop.

-

Karkat saw his energy being pulled into Dave, disappearing behind the inky curtain of black. Hopefully it would help him fight it off, or whatever. Karkat has never seen someone else’s aura _cling_ to someone like this.

He didn’t want to tell Dave to stop, when he’d been starving for so long. So Karkat maybe let him take a little too much, past the time when he started feeling exhaustion settle around his shoulders.

“Okay, now stop,” he said, when his eyelids start drooping. 

-

Dave was so focused on the feeling of the energy from Karkat trickling into him, that the empath telling him to stop startled him out of his focus. The stream of energy dropped back into a trickle, and then with a little more focus from Dave, stopped all together.

"...Are you okay?" he asked quietly, noting how tired Karkat looked. Dave didn't want to let go of Karkat's hand quite yet, and would hold onto it unless Karkat pulled away or told him to let go. "Did I take too much?"

-

It took longer than it should, but the pull of energy slows to stop, eventually. Karkat couldn’t help a jaw-cracking yawn. Dave was still gripping his hand, but he wasn’t taking any more, and Karkat didn’t want to pull away just yet; he could feel Dave’s satiety, his quiet pride and surprisingly sweet concern. 

“I’m fine,” Karkat said, but it was slightly slurred, which probably didn’t lend credence to his statement. “Just tired. I’ll be fine after a nap.”

He didn’t mention that his insomnia would likely stop that from happening, no matter how much he needed it. That was his own shit to deal with; Dave had enough on his plate as it was.

-

Dave frowned at Karkat, glancing down at where their hands were connected. "I took too much, didn't I?" he asked.

He sighed, thinking about before with Karkat telling Dave that he was feeding the other. Could he do the same? Their hands were still connected, so he focused on feeling Karkat's aura once more. Instead of taking more from him, though, he felt out the energy he had and led it back to Karkat again. He had dealt with low energy for most of his life, and knew he could tolerate it. The least he could do for Karkat was help him out when he had taken too much.

Dave knew he still needed to store as much as he could, but he could at least help Karkat not feel as tired. So he pushed the energy back into Karkat until he could feel it actually draining too much, then stopped again.

"There."

-

Karkat furrowed his eyebrows as an odd sensation ran up his arm. He knew how to take energy, but it was an entirely different feeling to be _fed_ it.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he snapped. “Are you fucking stupid? I let you take that much for a reason, you malnourished dunderheaded fuck.”

He pushed the energy back into Dave all at once, leaving him even more exhausted than before. He jerked his hand away and swayed in place.

“Fuck,” he gasped, collapsing against the couch cushions. “Don’t tell m’ dad.”

His eyes rolled back and unconsciousness claimed him.


End file.
